What Does the Word Nike Mean?

What does the word Nike mean?  Nike is the name of the Greek goddess of victory, so you could say it means victory.  It is also the name of an athletic footwear company.  Let’s find out about both these meanings for the word Nike.

First we will look at the story of the goddess Nike when considering what the word Nike means:

• Nike is the winged goddess of victory in war and during peaceful competitions. 
• In Greek mythology, there was a war between the Titans and the gods.  Zeus gathered his allies together at the beginning of the war and one of those allies was Styx. 
• Styx had four children: Nike, goddess of victory; Kratos, god of war and strength; Zelus, god of rivalry; and Bia, the goddess of force or power.  All four children were appointed as sentinels and stood beside the throne. 
• Nike was given the special job of charioteer.  Zeus was so pleased with the readiness of these four to help him; he said they could live with him on Olympus forever.  

What Does Nike Look Like

When considering what Nike means, you may also wonder what Nike looks like:

• When Nike was depicted in artwork, she often had a sash, trophy, or a wreath to bestow on the victor. 
• She would also have a lyre for singing about the victory. 
• Since she was Zeus’s charioteer, she is sometimes shown driving his chariot. 
• On coins, she would hold a palm branch that represented victory. 
• She resembles Athena, but has wings. 
• The Romans called her Victoria. 

So half of the answer to the question of what the word Nike means is that it means victory, because Nike is the goddess of victory.  You can still see her temple in the Acropolis of Athens, Greece. 

Origin of the Nike Corporation Logo

Now you know that Nike means victory, being the name of the Greek goddess of victory.  Since it stands for victory, it was a good choice for a company that makes athletic shoes.  The goddess Nike inspired warriors of ancient Greece and the Nike Corporation makes shoes to help people be victorious.

Here are some interesting facts about the early use and image of the Nike name: 

• The famous logo “swoosh” is modeled after the wings of the Greek goddess Nike. 
• It was designed by Caroline Davidson in 1971. 
• She was studying advertising at Portland State University and met Phil Knight while he was teaching accounting classes.
• He asked her to design a logo to be put on the side of a shoe.  She was paid $35 for her design.

History of Nike Corporation

So, how did Nike come to mean the name of an athletic shoe? Here are the facts:

• Nike started with two people: Bill Bowerman and Phil Knight. 
• Bowerman, who coached track at the University of Oregon, wanted to create a light, durable shoe for his athletes.  Phil Knight wanted to make a living using his love of athletics.   
• Bowerman and Knight started out selling Tiger running shoes for the Onitsuka Company of Japan.  By 1964, they had sold $8000 worth of shoes and ordered more. 
• They hired a full time salesman, Jeff Johnson, and soon hit $1 million in sales.  They had called their company Blue Ribbon Sports, but it was soon changed to Nike. 
• By the end of the 1970s, Nike and their trademark swoosh were responsible for $270 million in sales.
•  By 1996, Nike’s revenues topped $6.74 billion and in 2009, revenues were $19.2 billion.  That’s pretty good for someone who started out by selling shoes out of the back of a car.        

Nike doesn’t just sell shoes anymore; it offers many sports-related products.  These include shoes and apparel for many sports including:

• Football
• Basketball
• Running
• Tennis
• Combat sports
• Golf
• Cross training
• Tennis

Nike products are popular among the youth and supply urban fashion clothing.  Their latest line is the Nike Pro Combat jersey collection that will be worn by college football teams around the nation.  The ten teams involved are: Alabama, Boise State, Florida, Miami, Ohio State, Pittsburgh, Oregon State, TCU, Virginia Tech, and West Virginia.